Reading Comprehension

PT102 · S1 · P3 · Q20 Intertribalism's Effects

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Even in the midst of its resurgence as a vital tradition, many sociologists have viewed the current form of the powwow, a ceremonial gathering of native Americans, as a sign that tribal culture is in decline.

Topic

The current state of powwows and tribal/intertribal identity among Native Americans, challenging the "Pan-Indian" theory.

Framework

Challenge Position

Main Point

Many sociologists claim that increased intertribal activities like shared powwow traditions signal the decline and eventual assimilation of Native American tribal cultures ("Pan-Indianism"). However, the author argues this view is too simplistic and ignores simultaneous revivals of individual tribal traditions—both tribalism and intertribalism are thriving in distinct ways. *The Most Valuable Sentence:* (End of paragraph 2)

P1: Introduction of the Pan-Indian Theory / Conventional View

Many sociologists argue that powwows are evidence of a decline in distinct tribal cultures and the rise of a unifying, assimilating "Pan-Indian" identity, fueled by increased intertribal contact, urbanization, and politicization.

P2: Evidence Against Pan-Indianism's Simplicity

Yes, intertribal traditions are spreading quickly, but the theory ignores the revitalization of specific, unique tribal traditions (like the Sun Dance among the Lakota and traditional societies among Kiowa and Ponca). The real changes are more complex than simple assimilation.

P3: Critiquing Pan-Indian Theory's Assumptions

The Pan-Indian perspective is based on the questionable assumption that contact always leads to total assimilation. Native Americans themselves resist being lumped together, and there's no evidence for total assimilation as the outcome.

20.

Which one of the following situations most clearly illustrates the phenomenon of intertribalism, as that phenomenon is described in the passage?

a native American tribe in
Out of Scope: prevent revival
The passage is arguing that intertribalism is very complementary / hospitable to a revival in tribal traditions (2nd sentence of the 2nd paragraph). We have no reason to think that intertribalism is trying to shut down the revival of traditional dances.
2% picked this
Correct
a native American tribe whose
Why this is right
There's no direct match for this language-learning in the passage, but it seems to echo the sort of intermingling of cultures that is talked about in the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph: the rapid diffusion of dance styles, outfits, and songs from one reservation to another Mainly we're picking this answer because the others seem wrong and this seems like an example of "cultural borrowing" from other tribes.
Skill tested: Application · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
74% picked this
a native American tribe whose
Unrelated to Goal: form political organization
It's hard to understand how an individual tribe's decision to form a political organization has anything to do with blending traditions from different tribes together. It even says that the goal of the organization is to address grievances important to that tribe, not grievances important to native Americans.
8% picked this
a native American tribe in
Opposite: assimilated into Euroamerican
Euro-American society does not count as a "tribe". So borrowing from / assimilating into Euroamerican society doesn't have anything to do with one tribe participating in another tribe's traditions. In fact, the final paragraph tells us that intertribalism is a force that works against assimilation; it's supposed to reinforce the idea that, "regardless of what tribe you're in, you're a native American, not a Euro-American."
10% picked this
a native American tribe whose
Unrelated to Goal: travel
If a member of a tribe goes to another part of her tribe's reservation (the expanse of land on which they live) to visit a friend or relative, does that have anything to do with interacting with the culture of another tribe? No, not unless there are multiple tribes living on this reservation and the friend / relative is part of a different tribe and in visiting that friend/relative, the traveler also partakes somehow of that other tribe's culture. None of those 3 necessary ingredients are established in this answer, so we have no reason to think that visiting your friend who lives in a different part of the reservation has anything to do with cultural borrowing from another tribe.
6% picked this

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